How do you translate 上火 into English?

[Mexes]

Hi there,

Does anyone know how to translate 上火 into English? As in, the condition where it's not a disease or illness, but you get it if you eat too many tangerines, or plums, or lamb, or longan, or any other foods that are 热性 (sp?) ?

Symptoms include ulcers in the mouth, sore throat, nosebleeds, among others, and you "cure" it by taking 牛黄.

Incidentally, anyone know what 牛黄 is in English?

I've been trying to explain what this condition is to my English friends all my life, and they have no clue what I am talking about. Anyone else come across this?

Many thanks on any help!

[monto]

上火: in your case is Chinese Traditional Medication term, it is translated as "excessive internal heat" (noun) or to suffer from it (verb).

Of course, 上火 have also another meaning (emotional ) : to be annoyed.

[johnmck]

牛黄 is bezoar. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bezoar

Looking at its origins I'd rather put up with the mouth ulcers than take it.

[monto]

Looking at its origins I'd rather put up with the mouth ulcers than take it.

牛黄 really works when you 上火. And actually it is not the one find in the dirtiest place.

Natural 牛黄 is quite expensive, and most of the 牛黄 medicine you may have is man-made, the same as most of the antiboiotics of names ending with -mycin (meaning decay, rot) were initially found in very dirty place.

[imron]

上火: in your case is Chinese Traditional Medication term, it is translated as "excessive internal heat" (noun) or to suffer from it (verb).

unfortunately, when you tell your English speaking friends that you are suffering from excessive internal heat, they will still have no idea what you are talking about. It's not a concept that exists in western medicine, which has other explanations for the symptoms you list, none of which are related to eating the foods you mentioned.

[monto]

unfortunately, when you tell your English speaking friends that you are suffering from excessive internal heat, they will still have no idea what you are talking about.

Agree. But it can't be helped. That is what I can find so far even in big Chinese-English dictionaries that at least looks like a "translation"

Maybe this word would be like 工夫，someday just appear as "Shanghuo" in English?

This may be one of the major reasons why we learn foreign language.

[YuehanHao]

Interesting. I'm not sure the word "bezoar" is going to help the average English speaker any more than it did me, even though I was familiar with part of the basic concept. Maybe Mexes can send just send the Wikipedia link to any friends who are to be educated on this concept.

[Mexes]

Wow, thanks for all the input guys!

Yeah, I've been describing it extensively to my friends, and then referring to it as "high fire". Which makes no sense to them. *sigh*

I did not know niu huang was a bezoar!

Trouble is now, if I ever say to my boyfriend I have "high internal heat"...